Tag Archives: Darrell Wilson

Kirk Ferentz will be replacing his sixth assistant in the last 18 months. (Photo: Andrew Weber/US Presswire)

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]owa’s Kirk Ferentz has announced the hirings of two assistants and the resignation of a third.

Ferentz hired Bobby Kennedy as wide receivers coach and Jim Reid as an assistant on defense, while running backs coach Lester Erb is leaving the staff to pursue other opportunities. No replacement for Erb has been named.

Darrell Wilson, the Hawkeyes’ secondary coach last season, left to join the staff at Rutgers on Wednesday. Kennedy replaces Erik Campbell, who was let go in December.

When Erb’s replacement is hired, it will mean that Iowa will have replaced six of the nine full-time assistants who began the 2011 season in just 18 months.

Kennedy spent the past two seasons as Colorado’s receivers coach. Before that, he spent seven seasons (2004-10) at Texas where he was the assistant recruiting coordinator for six years.

Hawkeye offensive coordinator Greg Davis is Kennedy’s connection to Iowa. The two worked together while on the staff at Texas. Kennedy has worked in the Big Ten, albeit as a graduate assistant, spending 1990-92 at Illinois and then Penn State.

Kennedy’s full-time coaching career includes stops at six major college programs. He went to Texas after two seasons at Washington (2002-03). He spent one season as running backs coach at Arizona (2001), and six years at Wake Forest coaching running backs (1999-2000) and wide receivers (1995-98). His first-full time coaching job came at Wyoming, coaching wide receivers in 1993-94.

Reid joins the Iowa staff after serving as associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Virginia the past three seasons. He was fired by Mike London on Dec. 2, in a move that was considered surprising to a source close to the program. Though the Cavaliers struggled on defense and 4-8 record, the defense performed above expectations.

Reid joined the Virginia staff after spending the 2008-09 seasons as outside linebackers coach for the Miami Dolphins.

He has been the head coach at Virginia Military Institute (2006-07), Massachusetts (1986-91) and Richmond (1995-2003).

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]arrell Wilson, who spent the last 11 years at Iowa, is the new defensive backs coach at Rutgers.

It will be Wilson’s second stint at Rutgers. He was the Scarlet Knight’s running backs coach in 1999.

He fills one of the voids created when defensive coordinator and secondary coach Robb Smith left a week ago to become linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Indications have been that Kyle Flood will promote Dave Cohen from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator.

Wilson, who played at UConn, served as the outside linebackers and special teams coach for Wisconsin in 2000-01 before moving to Iowa, where he has been in charge of linebackers, special teams and, most recently, the secondary during his stint with the Hawkeyes.

Following Wilson’s hiring, the Rutgers staff has two open spots. The Scarlet Knights are also short an offensive coordinator after Dave Brock left to become the head coach at Delaware.